Toy construction



June 11, 1963 H. E. GEISER 3,092,928

TOY CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 17. 1960 INV EN TQR. HomerE. Gewer ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 3,092,928 TOY CONSTRUCTION Homer E. Geiser,Cucamonga, Calif.; Wiilis Neuenschwander, administrator of said Homer E.Geiser, d eceased, assignor to Hilda G. Geiser, Applecreek, Ohio FiledOct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,065 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-43) My invention relatesgenerally totoy construction, and more specifically to toy constructionfor directing marbles and the like in a predetermined unique path oftravel for the amusement of children. Even more specifically, myinvention relates to a top construction for directing marbles and thelike into aspiral path of travel of preferably progressively decreasingdiameter.

Many prior constructions of toys making use of marbles and the like havebeen provided but most of these prior toys have required some form ofspring force to propel the marbles into a predetermined path. Thepresent invention, however, requires only the gravitational forces toinitiate the movement of the marbles and retain the marbles moving in aparticular unique path of travel as determined by the particularconstruction of the toy.

'It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to providea toy construction which directs marbles and the like into apredetermined unique path of travel solely by the use of gravity.

it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a toyconstruction which directs marbles and the like into a unique spinningor spiral motion preferably decreasing progressively in diameter as themarbles move to the lower portion of the toy.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toyconstruction preferably having a particular form of feeding means forfeeding the marbles one at a time into the device for producing themotion hereinbefore set forth.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a toyconstruction satisfying all of the foregoing objects, yet which may beeconomically manufactured and assembled and may be marketed for aminimum cost.

These and other objects are accomplished by the parts, constructions,arrangements, combinations and subcombinations comprising the presentinvention, the nature of which is set forth in the following generalstatement, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best modein which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-is set forthin the following description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and setforth in the appended claim forming a part hereof.

In general terms, the improved toy construction comprising the presentinvention for use with marbles and the like may be stated as including ahollow, preferably generally funnel-shaped member, preferably having anexit opening formed therein at the lowermost portion thereof. Thisfunnel-shaped member is preferably supported with marble feeding meansspaced thereabove and track means operably connected to the feedingmeans and funnelshaped member. Further, the track means is formed forreceiving marbles or the like fed to said track means by the feedingmeans and for directing said marbles by "Ice gravity generallycircumferentially into an upper portion of the funnel-shaped member.

The feeding means may be in the form of a platform having a groovedtrack formed therein for receiving the marbles and directing them towardan upper end of the track means, which may be through a hole formed inthe feeding means platform aligned with said track means upper end.Further, the track means may be in the form of a cylindrical tube havinga lower end positioned for introducing the marbles by gravity into anupper portion of the funnel-shaped member generally circumferentially ofsaid funnel-shaped member, to produce a.

progressively downwardly spiral motion of the marbles within thefunnel-shaped member to the funnel-shaped member lower portion andultimately through said exit opening in said funnel-shaped member lowerportion. Finally, any part or all of the toy may be formed of clearplastic, either translucent or transparent, and this is particularlyadvantageous for the feeding means, track means andfunnel-shaped memberso that the progress of the marbles may be observed from the side of thetoy.

Thus, marbles may be fed into the track means by the feeding meansv andare introduced by the track means circumferentially into thefunnel-shaped member. Further, the marbles will then spin around thecircumference of the funnel-shaped member moving progressively down-Wardly by gravity to the exit at the exit opening in the lower portionof the funnel-shaped member.

By way of example, an embodiment of the toy construction. of the presentinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a parthereof, wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout theseverm views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the to; construction showinga. container positioned at the funnelshaped member exit opening forreceiving marbles or the like therefrom;

FiG. 2, a top. plan View of the toy construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a front elevation of the toy construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a horizontal sectional view, part in elevation, lookingdownwardly at the funnel-shaped member in the direction of the arrows4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, part in elevation,looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 in FIG. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the improved toy construction of the presentinvention includes a funnel-shaped member 19 which may be insubstantially the form of a conventional funnel, being hollow and.having the generally conical sides 1-1, forming the smooth conicalinnersurface as shown, the upper generally cylindrical rim or top portion 12,and the lower generally. cylindrical exit portion 13. The lower exitportion 113 preferably forms an exit opening 14 and the upper or rimportion 12 is likewise preferably open.

The upper rim portion 12 is preferably provided with a radially extendedor enlarged entrance portion '15 which opens in a circumferentialdirection providing the entrance opening 16 and this entrance portionlblends smoothly arcuately and circumferentially into the remainder ofthe rim portion 12, as best seen inFlGS. 1

and 4. Finally, the funnel-shaped member may be formed of one piece andof metal or any other suitable material, but for purposes hereinafterdescribed, it is preferred to form member 10 of one of the so-calledclear plastics, either translucent or substantially transparent.

The funnebshaped member 10 is preferably supported spaced above a flooror other plane surface by the supporting legs, generally indicated at17, which legs include the horizontally extending and verticallydownwardly curved foot portions '18, as shown, which provide lateralstability to the entire assembly. From these foot portrons, thegenerally vertically extending support arm portions 19 extend upwardly.The funnel-shaped member 10 is preferably secured to the arm portions 19of the supporting legs .17 at diametrically opposite points on thefunnel-shaped member upper rim 12, spacing the exit portion 13 and exitopening 14 above the floor or plane surface, as shown.

The feeding means of the toy construction of the present invention isshown as a dished or upwardly opening platform member, generallyindicated at 20, which platform member is preferably secured to theupper extremities of the supporting leg arm portions 19 and extend inggenerally horizontally. Platform member 20 is provided with a rimportion 21' rising generally vertically from the edges thereof andextending completely around the circumference. Further, the bottomportion 22 of platform member 20 is formed raised slightly, spacedradially inwardly a predetermined distance from the rim portion 21,providing a single row feed or guide groove 23 for a single row ofmarbles, as illustrated best in FIG. 2, completely around thecircumference of platform member 20 and preferably adjacent the rimportion 21. Finally, a feed opening is formed through the platformmember bottom portion 22 within the feed groove 23, as best seen inFIGS. 2 and 5, and the bottom portion 22 may be formed downwardly aroundthis feed opening 24 to form a connecting portion 25, if desired, and asshown in FIG. 5.

Track means, in the form of the tubular track member 26, is preferablysecured surrounding the platform member connecting portion 25, with thistrack member communicating with the platform member feed opening 24 andfeed groove 23. Track member 26 extends generallyvertically downwardlyand then progressively arcuately into a generally horizontal plane,where this track member is connected into the entrance portion andentrance opening 16 of the funnel-shaped member '10.

Thus, the tubular track member 26 communicates with the platform membergroove 23 through the feed opening 24 and also communicates with theentrance opening 16 in the upper rim portion 12 of the funnelshapedmember 10. Furthermore, at the point of connection of the tubular trackmember 26 into the entrance opening 16 of the funnel-shaped member 10,this track member extends and is directed generally circumferentiallyaround the inside of the funnel-shaped member.

As in the case of the funnel-shaped member 10, both the platform memberand tubular track member 26 may be formed of a usual clear plastic,either translucent or transparent. Also a usual form of container 27 maybe positioned below and aligned with the exit opening 14 of thefunnel-shaped member 10 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Thus, with the particular embodiment of the toy construction of thepresent invention, as hereinbefore described, marbles 28, as illustratedin FIG. 2, may be positioned on the platform member 20 and a certainnumber of these marbles received in the feed groove 23 adjacent the rimportion 21. These marbles, so positioned, may then be urged one by onethrough the feed opening 24 of the platform member 20 and will bedirected downwardly through the tubular track member 26 into thefunnel-shaped member 10 through the entrance opening 16 of thisfunnel-shaped member. connection and shape of the tubular track member26 into the entrance opening 16 of the funnel-shaped member 10, thesemarbles will be directed circumferentially around the inside of thefunnel-shaped member.

Due to the force gained from moving by gravity from the platform member20 to the funnel-shaped member 10 through the tubular track member 26,these marbles 28 will spin swiftly circumferentially around the insideof the funnel-shaped member. Furthermore, the marbles will move in aprogressively downwardly spiral path around the circumference of thefunnel-shaped member in view of the particular contour of member 10combined with the gravitational forces. Ultimately, again due-to"gravity and the contour of the funnel-shaped member 10, the marbles 28will reach the exit opening 14 of this funnel-shaped member and dropdownwardly into the container 27.

One of the purposes of forming the funnel-shaped member 10, platformmember 20, and track member 26 of plastic is for sound mufflingpurposes, since by forming these members of plastic rather than metal,the noise created by the movement of the marbles 28 will be greatlydecreased. Secondly and more important, if these members are formed ofa. clear plastic, whether translucent or transparent, the progress ofthe marbles 28 around the platform member 20 downward through the trackmember 26 and spinning downwardly through the funnelshaped member 10 canbe observed from the side of the toy. 7

Although the preferred embodiment of the toy construction comprising thepresent invention is shown in the drawings, it should be understood thatmany changes could be made without departing from the broad principlesof the past invention. For instance, it is not absolutely necessary toprovide the feed groove 23 of platform member 20 and it is notabsolutely necessary to provide a closed tubular track member 26 as longas this track member will direct the marbles 28 in a proper desireddirection. Furthermore, it would not be absolutely necessary to providethe exit opening 14 in the funnelshaped member 10, since the marbles 28could collect at the lower portion of this funnel-shaped member.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom, be cause such words are used for descriptive purposesherein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated anddescribed herein is by no way of example and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown.

Having now described the invention, the construction,

operation and use of the preferred embodiment thereof,

outer periphery of the platform feeding member and an elevated platformportion in a central portion of said platform feeding member, an openingformed vertically through the platform, feeding member within saidgroove, a generally cylindrical rtubular track member operably connectedwith an upper end communicating with the feeding member opening andextending generally vertically downwardly from the feeding member andthen arcuately In view of the particular into a generally horizontallyextending lower end, the track member lower end extending into an upperportion of the funnel-shaped member generally circumferentially of saidfunnel-shaped member upper portion and opening onto said funnel-shapedmember inner surface, and the upper portion of the funnel-shaped memberinto which the track member lower end extends being radially enlargedand blending smoothly arcuately and circumferentially into thefunnel-shaped member inner surface; whereby, marbles may be selectivelystored on the elevated platform portion of the platform feeding memberand may be selectively moved into the groove of the platform feedingmember in a single row, from which groove the marbles may be fed throughthe feeding member opening into the tubular track member and will beintroduced by the track member circumferentially into the funnelshapedmember to spin eircumferentially around said funnel-shaped member andmove progressively downwardly by gravity to exit at the exit opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS424,260 Bender Mar. 25, 1890 801,427 Wilson Oct. 10, 1905 i1,059,ll1Buchanan Apr. 15, 1913 2,662,336 Zalkind Dec. 15, 1953

